China urges world community to respect sovereignty of Maldives

BEIJING, Feb 9 (APP):Terming the current situation in Maldives as its internal matter, a Chinese foreign ministry’s spokesperson Friday said international community should respect sovereignty and independence of the Maldives.
“The international community should respect the will of the Maldives and play a constructive role in the stability and development of Maldives instead of doing the opposite,” Geng Shuang said during his regular briefing here.
“The current situation in the Maldives is its internal affairs. It should be properly resolved through dialogue and consultations by all relevant parties,” he said while responding to a question regarding current situation in Maldives.
Replying to a question on reports of Indian deployment in the Maldives to evacuate Indians, he said “non-interference in other countries is an important principle of international relations.”
About Maldives Economic Development Minister Mohamed Saeed to China, he said Saeed in his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has introduced the current situation in the Maldives and said the government is committed to uphold the rule of law and social order independently resolving the current issue and achieving national stability and development.
“The Maldives has the ability to protect the security of the Chinese personnel and the institutions,” Saeed told Wang.
For his part, Wang said China is closely following the situation in the Maldives and believe that the government and people there have the ability to properly resolve the current issue and restore the normal order in the country in accordance with law, Geng said.
“China will not interfere in the internal affairs of the Maldives. This is also an important principle enshrined by UN charter. We support the Maldives government to properly resolve issues through dialogue and consultations with relevant parties and uphold independence, sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests of Maldives,” Wang told Saeed according to the spokesperson.
China has offered self-less assistance to Maldives for its social development, Wang said adding that the cooperation benefits all the peoples in Maldives.
Geng said, “I want to emphasise that China believes that the Maldives and people have the wisdom and capability to properly resolve the current issue faced them.”
To another question whether Saeed sought China’s help to resolve the issue, he said,
“I can tell you that diplomatic channels between the two countries is smooth. China and the Maldives maintain normal and friendly exchanges.”